Cold
by Kutsushita-Socks
Summary: Itachi hates the way Madara talks to him. MadaIta, oneshot.


Experimenting with Madara and non-psychopathic-Itachi. I'm not sure if it worked out, but it was somewhat fun. The woman Itachi kills is no one important, by the way... I'm not even sure why I wrote that part in...

* * *

"When Sasuke kills me-"

"When. Not if?"

Light fingers brushed over the black collar of Itachi's cloak.

"...you know that I always intended to have him kill me, Madara."

The younger Uchiha's voice was quiet, his crimson eyes staring absently across the forest. He ignored Madara's hand as a breeze caught his hair, loosening its ties and sending the strands fluttering across his face.

The hand hovering by Itachi's shoulder reached across and snared a lock of hair, running it through black-painted nails before letting it fall back into place.

"You seem very casual about it."

"As I said... I have been working towards this moment for many years. Death is my goal."

A faint smile curved Madara's lips, but his eyes remained cold.

"You are very fearless, Itachi-kun, but you are not aggressive enough to be called 'brave.'"

Silence. Madara traced Itachi's motionless jawline with one hand. Teasing black hair through his fingers, he asked, "you and Kisame-san have no missions until the kyuubi is needed again, do you?"

"...I was under the impression you set the missions, Madara. You know we do not."

Unperterbed, Madara leaned in. His breath brushed the edge of Itachi's face, and Itachi got the odd, uncomfortable impression that his own skin was absorbing the exhalation.

"You're very cold, Itachi-kun," Madara murmured. "But as you are free, I'd like you to find something for me..."

* * *

Madara was hidden behind the dark spirals of his mask when Itachi walked into the hollow behind the large rock, a limp body slung over one shoulder.

The older Uchiha looked up from the scroll he had been studying.

"Ah... Itachi-kun. Is Kisame-san with you?"

"He left," said Itachi shortly.

There was a soft clink as the clasp of Madara's ceramic mask clipped open, and Madara's long, pale hand reached up and pulled it off, placing the mask next to the scroll on the flat rock by his side.

Itachi watched him, noting - not for the first time - that Madara had confirmed Kisame's absence before removing the mask. Itachi doubted if even Pein had seen Madara's face.

"Drop it over here," Madara ordered, gesturing loosely at the corpse, his eyes on Itachi rather than his prize.

Itachi's feet were quiet as he stepped over to Madara and _placed_ the body on the ground. Madara's eyes glinted a little at this, but he said nothing besides, "was she hard to kill?"

"...not particularly."

There was a cold, simmering silence as Madara inspected the body, noting not only the absence of fatal wounds but the very faint blood-red rim around Itachi's right eye.

_Killed her with Tsukiyomi only?_

"You look hot, Itachi-kun."

"I'm not."

Madara rose fluidly from the cave floor. Stepping past the corpse he was next to Itachi and his hands were undoing the thick cloak before Itachi had time to think of stepping backwards.

"Itachi-kun."

Madara placed a hand on Itachi's collarbone; cold fingers brushed colder flesh. Itachi's expression remained impassive, though his formerly dominant Sharingan flared slightly.

"I told you I wasn't hot," he remarked in a voice hovering somewhere between mild and dangerous.

Madara's hands ghosted over Itachi. "You're cold, Itachi-kun. Was it Tsukiyomi?"

There was a moment's pause.

"Do not expect me to reveal every detail of the effects and counter-effects of my jutsu to you, Madara."

Madara raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Why, Itachi-kun, I'm sure your _family_ taught you better manners than that."

Malice dripped in every syllable. Madara was rewarded by the subtle quickening of Itachi's heartbeat under his pale palm, and he smiled, his hands sliding down to circle Itachi's waist.

"Get off me."

That was definitely a threat, but Madara simply pulled Itachi into him, tilting the younger man's chin upwards.

"I'll warm you up, Itachi-kun."


End file.
